Pakistani Troops Dig For 135 Missing In Avalanche
More than 12 hours after the disaster at the entrance to the Siachen Glacier, no survivors had been found.
“We are waiting for news and keeping our fingers crossed,” said army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas.
Hundreds of troops, sniffer dogs and mechanical equipment were at the scene, but were struggling to make much headway into the avalanche, which crashed down onto the rear headquarters building in the Gayari sector early in the morning, burying it under some 21 meters (70 feet) of snow, Abbas said.
“It’s on a massive scale,” he added. “Everything is completely covered.”
The military said in a statement that at least 124 soldiers and 11 civilian contractors were missing.
Siachen is on the northern tip of the divided Kashmir region claimed by both India and Pakistan.
Jerry Roberts
